Guess How Much I Love You author Sam McBratney dies aged 77
Sam McBratney, the author of the bestselling picture book Guess How Much I Love You, has died at the age of 77.
The Northern Irish author died on 18 September, his publisher Walker Books announced on Monday. A former teacher, McBratney was the author of more than 50 books and scripts, but was best known for Guess How Much I Love You, the story of Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare and their efforts to express their love for each other. First published in 1994, illustrated with Anita Jeramâs watercolours, the childrenâs classic has sold more than 43m copies worldwide, and been translated into 57 languages.
Walker said that McBratneyâs phrase, âI love you to the moon and backâ had âtaken on iconic statusâ, while the book had sparked an animated TV show, a stage play and toys. But for McBratney, the book was just âa lighthearted little story designed to help a big one and a wee one enjoy the pleasure of being togetherâ.
âYou turn the pages, you read the words, you do the actions and you play the game. This evening, somewhere in the world, a mum or dad will be reading Guess with someone special,â he said last year, to mark the bookâs 25th anniversary. âIâd like to share with you one comment a father sent me. He wrote: âOn good nights my little girl loves me all the way to the moon, but on bad nights she only loves me to the door.â If youâre a parent (or a grandparent like myself), hereâs hoping that you mostly make it to the moon. And back âŚâ
McBratney, who said that âitâs as difficult to write a fine picture book, one that stands out from the crowd, as it is to write a fine novelâ, praised Jeramâs illustrations, saying that âthereâs a gangly awkwardness, a boneyness, about hares, that [she] has captured, and with such a lovely soft paletteâ.
A sequel to Guess How Much I Love You, called Will You Be My Friend?, is due to be published on 29 September. âWhen writing about the hares, I aim to describe moments of emotional significance but with loads of humour and the lightest of touches. This story is about one of those moments. Little Nutbrown Hareâs world suddenly glows with the discovery of friendship,â McBratney said of that book.
Born in Belfast, McBratney went to grammar school and then to Trinity College, Dublin, before working as a teacher at a further education college, a grammar school and a primary school. He took early retirement to focus on his career as an author, travelling the world to share his books with readers.
âAs Guess How Much I Love You achieved great success and acclaim, Sam never failed to express his profound surprise at the power of the message within his text. The joy he felt at knowing so many people around the globe connected with the gentle celebration of unconditional love was ever palpable,â said Donna Cassanova at Walker Books.
âIt is also the true mark of the man that he never failed to recognise the role that Anita Jeramâs exquisite illustrations play in the success of Guess How Much I Love You. They were a literary pairing of the highest calibre. Sam faced everything in life, and death, with such great, good grace and humour. He always smiled out at the world, and I feel so lucky to have felt the warmth of his smile.â
McBratney is survived by his wife of 56 years, Maralyn, their three children, and six grandchildren.